Obstacle course racing (OCR) is a sport in which a competitor must overcome various obstacles while also running. They are both mentally and physically challenging. There are multiple types of Obstacle course races that you can do: Spartan Race, Tough Mudder, and Warrior Dash are the most popular. Spartan races range from 3 miles to marathon distances and can include 20-60 obstacles depending on the race. Tough Mudders are endurance events where you have a 10-12 mile obstacle course. A Warrior Dash is a 5K Mud Run with 12 obstacles. No matter which one you choose, here are some things to know before you do an OCR.

Whether it’s the run as part of an IRONMAN or if it’s a stand alone marathon, when you ask many athletes their run strategy for the upcoming race, it often goes something like this, “I’m going to run as far as I can and then will add some walking when I have to.”

Working out during the hotter summer months can make you want to retreat to the indoors and avoid going outside until fall. However, with some minor adjustments, you can maintain your routines and stay fit. If you are going to train outdoors, you will want to avoid the hottest parts of the day, which are from around 11 a.m. until 5 p.m.

It is recommended to work out early in the morning before heading off to work. Not only is it much cooler outside, your body will have increased energy and higher cognitive functioning throughout the day. If you are unable to get to your routines at this time, consider doing them in the evening after the sun has started to set.

If you are a night owl, you could even get in your workout routines in the evening, when it is much cooler. Just remember to wear reflective, brightly colored, or white clothing, and carry a flashlight to make it easier for motorists to see you.

One viable alternative for summertime workouts is to spend more time swimming and in the pool. There are plenty of water-type physical fitness exercises you can perform to help maintain and improve your abilities.

Regardless of the outdoor routines you prefer, remember to slather on the sunscreen and reapply frequently to protect your skin. You should also wear a baseball cap to shade your eyes, and UV protectant sunglasses. Take time to rehydrate yourself while working out by drinking plenty of water. Most people suggest drinking a small amount every fifteen minutes.

If you simply cannot handle the heat of the outdoors, look for a gym or fitness center in your area that offers short-term summer memberships. These facilities offer the comforts of air conditioning and access to a wide array of equipment you can use to ensure your entire body gets the attention it needs.

If you are finding it hard to stay motivated, even with these various options, try implementing these tips:

Start listening to music to liven up your mood and motivate you to exercise.

Take time out to reward yourself for reaching fitness goals. Schedule a massage, go shopping, have a “cheat” day, or anything else you like.

Set easy-to-obtain goals. During the summer months, you will want to adjust your short-term and long-term goals. It can be harder to set higher demands on your body and, if you fall short, you can be discouraged and lose your motivation. For instance, if a short-term goal is to shed 10 pounds in a month, you might want to adjust this to losing a minimum of a pound a week for 10 weeks.

Don’t punish yourself if you skip working out for a day or two. If it is simply too hot outside, and you need to stay indoors, avoid feeling guilty about it. Instead, do some pushups, sit ups, or house cleaning to get in some physical activity.

After intensive workouts during the summer and throughout the rest of the year, remember to refuel your body with workout and sports nutrition bars from Promax Nutrition. Order yours today online, or call us at (888) 728-8962 for further help in selecting the right bars to fit your needs.

When you were a kid, did your mom ever scold you for eating between meals? Her heart may have been in the right place, but it turns out she was wrong: Not only will snacking not spoil your meal, it’s also an important part of staying healthy and losing weight.

Snacking Keeps Blood Sugar Balanced

Maintaining a consistent blood sugar level is an incredibly important part of staying healthy. Three to five hours after eating, blood sugar levels take a dive, slowing down our metabolism. When our blood sugar undergoes constant dips and spikes, it increases our chances of developing serious health problems like insulin resistance, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and obesity.

One of the best ways to keep your blood sugar steady? Snacking, especially if you eat a consistent amount of carbs.

Snacking Prevents Overeating

We all sometimes get hungry between meals. When we don’t slake our hunger with a little snack before mealtime, those hunger pangs are more likely to make us overeat. If you’re feeling bad about grabbing a snack a couple of hours before lunch or dinner, don’t – instead, grab something rich in carbs like fruit or whole grains, and combine it with nuts, dairy, or other protein-rich foods. Not only do these food contain important nutrients, they’re also the most filling.

Snacking Helps Us Lose Weight

It may sound counterintuitive, but snacking is one of the best ways to start losing weight. Specifically, moving from a schedule of a couple of big meals to one with smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day helps us keep our intake and output consistent, and makes it less likely that we’ll overeat. The trick is to keep your meals small, and space them out consistently throughout the day.

Snacking Improves Mood and Helps Us Focus

Remember what we said earlier about blood sugar drops and slowed down metabolisms? After your body burns through the food you’ve ingested, the body reacts by slowing down, which leads to crankiness, tiredness, and an inability to concentrate. Grabbing a snack between meals will keep your energy levels up and prevent the onset of foul moods that affect productivity and make the day seem longer.

A Few Tips for Snacking

Snacking may be good for us, but that doesn’t mean that every type of snack is healthy. Candy bars and other sugary snacks should be avoided as much as possible; not only do they pack on the pounds, they also burn up quickly, leaving you more hungry and cranky than you were before you grabbed a snack.

If you’re looking for the perfect, healthy snack to keep your energy up and help you lose weight, Promax Nutrition bars are the perfect choice available in many different flavors and varieties, including lower sugar. Learn more by looking through our website today.

From short weekend beach trips to week long family getaways, and other such travel, it can be challenging to maintain you normal exercise, fitness, and dietary routines. Not to mention, you do not always have access to the same conveniences you have at home and at your local fitness center.

Some people will tell you since you are on vacation, you should relax, splurge, and enjoy yourself. However, you might be the type of person who will not be happy with themselves after returning home having packed on five or ten additional pounds.

The following suggestions and tips are ideal for both personal and business travel and will help you stay in shape, while still enjoying your summer adventures.

Pack Workout Tools – Resistance bands, water weights, and jump ropes do not take up much room in your carry on or checked bags. These tools help you get in a 20 or 30 minute workout before heading out for the day.

Utilize the Amenities in Your Hotel Room – Pack dry oatmeal, protein bars, and other such nutritious snacks and meals. As long as they are not liquids, you can carry them onto an airplane. If your room has a refrigerator, make a trip to a local grocery store and stock it with fresh fruit and vegetables, yogurt, and other healthy options.

TIP: If your hotel offers a free breakfast, you can pick up fresh fruit, yogurt, and other healthy items for free.

Visit Your Hotel’s Fitness Center – Try to choose accommodations which feature a fitness center, to have access to exercise equipment and machines to supplement the workout tools you brought along.

Do Your Workouts in the Morning – Getting up early while on vacation does not sound like fun. However, if you put off working out until later in the day or evening, you probably are going to feel tired and not do it. Plus, working out in the morning gives you more energy throughout the entire day.

Drink Plenty of Water – Having easy access to water is sometimes challenging while traveling and on vacation. Make it a point to drink water throughout the day to help remain hydrated.TIP: Pack a reusable water bottle or two in your luggage and keep these in your mini fridge.

Don’t Stress if You Deviate from Your Normal Workout Routine – You are on vacation or traveling with limited access. It is okay if you deviate a little. As long as you are trying to fit in 10 minutes of exercise and sticking to a healthy diet for your snacks and at least two out of three of your daily meals, you should be close to, if not in, the same condition as when you left home.

Remember to order plenty of protein and energy bars for your summer travels and vacations, by contacting Promax Nutrition today at (888) 728-8962.

Getting in a workout can be a struggle for anyone, even when they have plenty of time on their hands. But for a mom, free time is practically nonexistent. Plenty of parents leave their fitness goals behind when they’re raising young children, simply because they don’t feel like they have the time or energy. The thing is, making time to work out will actually give you more energy throughout the day. The tricky part is finding time to do it, and it may mean changing up your old workout regimens.

Less Is More

Before you had kids, you may have had a workout routine that had you at the gym a few times a week for an hour or more. Raising children means that might not really be an option anymore. Instead, break your workouts up into smaller portions that you can do throughout the week. Ten minutes of high intensity exercise done several times a week can be just as beneficial as your longer workouts. In fact, a recent study found that just one minute of high intensity training, with warm ups and cool downs, was as effective in improving fitness as a forty-five minute workout.

Workout As A Family

This one also works with the idea that you might have to change what you consider a workout. Your kids can’t do an hour on the treadmill with you, but they can go on pre- or post-dinner walks around the neighborhood. And there are plenty of other ways you can involve your children in your fitness routine.

If you’re watching their favorite show together, make commercial breaks a time for exercise. A quick game of tag or bodyweight exercises will be beneficial to everyone. If you take them to the park, you can use that time to get a workout in on the jungle gym. Look for opportunities in your day that you might be missing out on.

Block Out “Your Time”

Maybe you don’t necessarily need to change your workout routine altogether, but instead you just need to make the time to keep doing it. So mark certain times on your weekly calendar like you would for a doctor’s appointment. That time is blocked out specifically for you to do your workout—whatever that may be. Schedule it with your significant other, and make it non-negotiable.

Find Some Partners

Every mother with young children is going through the same thing—tons of commitments and not a lot of free time. Find a friend who is willing to work out with you, and help support each other and keep up with your fitness goals. And if you don’t have someone locally to work out with, you can go online to find support and tips on Facebook groups or blogs.

It’s tough to find time to work out when you have young children, and so is finding the time to prepare a protein packed meal after your workout. At Promax, we have a number of delicious protein bars that are packed with the nutrition you need to get you through your workout, kids and all. Try one today!

Depending on where you live, you may already be feeling the effects of the summer heat. If your workout is based outside, you may find yourself wondering if you should change it up to accommodate the coming heat. But does that mean you’re giving in to the weather? Won’t you get the most out of your workout if you’re performing under tougher conditions? Maybe, but if the temperature spikes and you aren’t ready for it, you could actually be hurting your performance. Here’s why you should take some basic steps to change up your workout when the thermometer tops out this summer.

Why make a change?

Even if you’re at the top of your game, a dramatic change in temperature can pose problems in your workout. Working out in a hot environment that you aren’t used to will increase your body’s core temperature. This increase can actually reduce the endurance capacity of your muscles, increase your body’s reliance on carbohydrates for fuel, and compromise aspects of your cardiovascular function.

So what should you do?

You have to give your body time to acclimate to the heat, and once it does, you’ll be able to train harder and more effectively. That doesn’t mean you need to completely change your workout, but there are some easy and effective ways to acclimate your body.

Instead of heading inside to run on the treadmill, change your workout times to the morning or evening, when temperatures aren’t as brutal. If you can’t change the time of your workout, reduce your duration or intensity until your body gets used to the heat. You can even try little things like choosing a running route that provides plenty of shade on the sidewalk. Most people should become acclimated to the heat after a week or two of training.

Drinking more fluids is also key. Always make sure you’re drinking water before, during and after your training. Drink fluids even when you don’t necessarily feel thirsty, and try a succession of small drinks, rather than a few huge glasses of water.

Also remember to take into account the humidity in the area where you’re training. A humid environment keeps sweat from evaporating off your skin, which is actually what cools us down, not the sweating itself. So if you live in an area known for humidity, don’t forget to check the heat index to see if it’s safe for you to train outside at that time.

Like we said before, your training will go smoother if you give your body time to adjust to the heat. Trying to push yourself and keep the same routine when conditions change is only going to disrupt your training, and can even be dangerous.

After any workout, indoors or out, you want to recover and get back to work as quickly as possible. So try a Promax protein bar today. They’ve got all the protein you need to get your body performing at its peak.

There’s something about warm weather that gives people the urge to get out for a run, even if they haven’t been very active all winter. As spring kicks into gear, a lot of people may be starting up a new running routine, or bringing back an old one that got lost along the way. Running seems like an inherently simple activity. You just do it, right? Well, contrary to Nike’s advice, there are actually a number of ways you can screw up your running routine, and keep yourself from seeing the maximum fitness benefits. So take a look at these running mistakes before you lace up this spring.

Too Much, Too Soon

This is probably the biggest mistake that beginners make, but it can also hurt you if you’ve just been taking a break from your running routine. Maybe work got busy and you just haven’t been at it for a few months. Whatever the case, your body simply isn’t ready to pump out mile after mile. As frustrating as it may be, give yourself time to get back into the swing of things. Build up slowly so you can avoid injury.

The general rule is to increase your mileage by no more than 10% each week. If you’re doing more than that, you’re at risk for wearing down your body and burning out before you can accomplish your goals.

Not Listening To Your Body

Runners generally have a set schedule that they like to stick to. A certain number of miles on certain days of the week, ratcheting up towards the goal of a race. But it doesn’t always work out like that. A little soreness can easily become a big problem if you decide to push through and follow your regimen exactly as you wrote it out. Ask yourself what’s worse—missing a few days, or missing a few weeks with a preventable injury?

Wearing The Wrong Shoes

It’s amazing that some people will still try to do their running in unsupportive or poorly fitted shoes, but it does happen. Take the time to get fitted for the right shoes if you’re just starting out. If you’re getting back into running after a long break, take a look at your old running shoes. The recommended lifespan for running shoes is usually about 300 to 350 miles, and definitely no more than 500.

Comparing Yourself To Everyone Else

For most of us, running is a way to stay fit and help lead a healthy lifestyle. Sure, you may get to the point where you sign up for longer races like a marathon, but there’s always someone who’s going to have you beat—someone who can just run longer and faster, or takes less time to recover. In the end, comparing yourself to other runners is going to be a futile effort that gets you nowhere.

If you’re starting up a running routine, you’re going to need the proper nutrition to keep you energized and help you recover. So pick up some of our delicious and healthy Promax protein bars, and get the most out of your workout.